News
New funding announced leading up to implementation of Next Gen 911

Aug. 16, 2023, Cranbrook, B.C. – The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) will be receiving $45,000 in funding to help with local preparedness prior to the implementation of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) system in B.C.

“We are grateful to the Ministry of Citizen’s Services for these funds and look forward to working with our 911 delivery partners at E-Comm and Kelowna Fire Dispatch to determine how to best prioritize its use,” explains RDEK Board Chair, Rob Gay.

The 2023 Next Generation Funding has been provided to all local governments and modern Treaty First Nations to support local preparedness for the implementation of the new 911 system and can be used for everything from public education to mapping, GIS, and staff training.

“At this time, we are awaiting more details on what the new system will look like, how it will operate, and what the expectations will be for local governments around its implementation. Once we have those details, we will best be able to determine how we will utilize this funding for maximum impact,” adds Gay. “At this point, it’s too early to determine what the impacts of the new system will be on local governments, and we are looking forward to receiving more detailed information from the Province.”

NG911 will modernize the current 911 system to allow for newer technology such as video and real-time text and will include greater capacity for 911 operators to gather situational awareness and location information from callers.

The RDEK has until August 2, 2026 to utilize the approved funding, which is part of a $150 million dollar commitment by the Province of BC to assist with technological upgrades and offset costs to related to the implementation of the new system.

NG911 is anticipated to be in place across Canada in March 2025.